Closing means for sliding doors.



R. H. REH & Y. BURGESS.

CLOSING MEANS FOR SLIDING nouns.

APPBIOATIOR FILED APR. 15, 1910.

Patented Feb. 27 1912.

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' Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

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- mmi- Aflo rncy and useful Improvements in UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLP H H. REH AND YORKE BURGESS, OFIWASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLTITMBIA.

CLOSING MEANS FOR SLIDING DOORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

Application filed April 15. 1910. Serial No. 555,636.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatwe, RUDOLPH H. REE and Yonnn Bnnoissscitizens of the States, residing at Washington, in 'the District of Columbia, have invented certain new Closing Means for Sliding Doors; .and we clare'the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the" same.

This invention relates to closing means for sliding doors for show-cases, closets, windows and any other desired structurehavmg a reciprocating door, and particularly-to electrically operated door closures. "The invention comprises and has for an object the provision of an electrical motor, and a plurality of means associated therewith and with a show-case, whereby the door of the case is automatically closed after. each opening. Another objectin view is the combination with a do'or,'-o'f a show-case having a rack secured thereto, of a motor provided with a gear. mechanism meshing with said rack for-closing the door when the motor is op% erated, and a circuitfor the motorincluding a source of current automatically closed upon opening said door.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprlses novel construct-ions,

spring and I slightly .modified' form of the invention.

combinations and arrangements of parts as will ,be hereinafter claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure lis a fragmentary sectional view through a show-case with an embodiment of the invention applied. 'Fig fl is a'top view of the ig. 1, the" same being structure shown in shown on a reduced scale. Fig. 3 is a side view of a show-case door with the'invention applied thereto. Fig. 4 is an enlar ed fragmentary View of a slightly modi ed form of the gear mechanism. modified form of means for grounding the motor on the rack on the show-casedoor. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the wire for a plurality of show-cases. Fig. 7 is a detail, fragmentary View or a contact conducting strip embodying a Fig. 8 1s a fragmentary View of a show-case I ,showing'the invention applied insuch manner that aslngle motor w1l1 close a plurality of doors. Fig. 9 is a side view of the struc- United do hereby de- 4 fully described and sired kind, and 2 the cured to door 2 is a rack 3 which extends 8 (Fig. 5)

Fig. 5 is a slightly grounded-thereon and slidinglyengages ture shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10'is a detail, fragmentary view showing the rack arranged on the bottom of the door.

In constructing a device accordingto the present invention, the same is designed to operate the slidingdoors, either of .the vertically or horizontally movable kind In applying the invention a metallic rack is secured along one edge thereof, and a strip of conducting material parallel thereto. The rack and the conducting strip are connected at one end by a; suitable conductor which has interposed intermediate its length a switch oi the push button type that normally maintains the circuit closedbut opens the circuit when depressed. In order-to com: plete' .the circuit a connecting conductor is provided which has movable engaging means for movably engaging the rack and the conducting strip. One of these movable engaging means is a gear mechanism meshing with the rack and driven by a motor interposed in the circuit of which the rack is a part. When the push button is depressed and the door is opened'no currentwill flow but immediately the. push button is released the circuit will be complete and the motor will .begin to operate thegear mechanism connected therewith and the rack which opera"- tion will continue until the door is closed.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, an embodiment of the same is shown in the accompanying drawings in which 1 indicates ashow-case of any dedoor thereof. Se-

for substantially the full length of door 2 in order cthatgea-r-4 may completely" close the same. Gear 4 is'operated by a pinion 5 rigidly secured to shaft 6 of motor -7. Mo-

tor 7 is preferably' -grounded on rack-3' through shaft 6, pinion 5, and gear 4, though if desired it may be grounded inan other desired way as forinstance by brus which is secured to the motor and rack 3. Motor 7 is connected opposite the grounded side with a contact spring '9 through wire 10 which has inter osed in its length a source of current as attery 11. Contact sprin 9 slidingly engages a metal- ..lic strip 12 whichis preferably secured to the opposite side of the door to rack 3. At the 'end. of door 2. opposite motor 7 is ar-. ranged a push button switch 13 preferably located in the hand-hold or which is 4O -opened, but upon-the rotation of shaft 6 by notch-14L Switch 1?; is provided witlrcontacts 15 and 16 which normally remain in contact but are adaptedtob'e separated by the depression of button 17. Push button '13 isinterposed in wire 18 which connects current ordinary primary cells are used, but

if desired ordinary lighting or other current could be utilized by merely using motors wound to take the respective voltage. v

In operating door 2,pushbutton 13 is depressed and the door slid open as far as desirable. As soon as push button 13 is released the circuit will beclosed and'the motor' will begin-to operate; for closing the door unless the same is held open against the action of the motor. In arranging r'ack 3 the same is'des-igned to free itself from gear 4 just-previous to the closing ofthe door.

'In other words, as the dooris being closed the gear 4 will arrive at the end of the rack, and will cease. to further move'the. door, but thefmomentum of the door will be sufficient to keep the door moving for a short distance. This .will break the circuit between gear 4 and rack 3 which circuit will remain open until door 2 is opened.

In mounting a pinion on the-shaft o f themotor the same may be mounted as shown in Fig. l inwhich a clutch plate21'is' pro- 'vided for accommodating balls or rotatable gripping members 22 which will permit a free rotation ofgear 5 in a reverse direction without moving shaft 6 when the door 2 is the motor the balls 22 will move up the beveled ways 21 and connect the shaft 6' with" gear 5 so as to convey power thereto.

Preferably in addition to interposing switch 18 intermediate, the length of wire 8 I a small switch 23, which normally remains 7 open is I also provided.

previous to opening door 2 switch 23 is opened and thedoor pushed open in the usual manner. When it is desired toclose x the .djoorswitch 23is manually closed'which- 'openfor maintaining the circuit of motor Immediately will immediatelyclose the circuit of motor .7, and thenlotor will eventually close the door. Ifswitch 23 isnot opened justjprevis ous to opening the door,'the circuit of motor 7-m-ay be opened-by depressing button 17 as heretofore described. i

shown in Fig. 1,-or beneath or above the 'shpw-c'ase; or in any other desired location iIn' 'moun t ing the-motor 7 the same may be arranged interiorly "of the show case, as

the rack 3 is located as shown in Fig. 10. When it is desired to use a single motor for closing two doors the same is arranged as shown in Figs. 8-and 9 in which the doors 2 and 2" are provided with racks 3 in the usual manner, except that the rack 3..of door 2" is on the outside of the door while of the door. Arranged between doors 2' i and 2 is a propelling gear 24, which propelling gear maybe made small in order not Ito separate the doors to any appreciable extent. The'gear 24-is rigidly secured to a shaft 25 which extends through the bottom or top of the show-case and has secured thereto gear 5 which meshes as heretofore By this arrangement either of the doors may be independently opened and closed, .or may be opened and closed at the same time. By

' short of reaching gear 24 the circuit is maintained opened at this point when the door is closed, but the circuitis closed when either {of the doors is opened.

If desired, instead of arranging the spring 9 to remain in contact with strip 12 continuously, the same maybe arranged as .shown in Fig. 7 where spring 9 slips off the end of the strip 12 at the same time that the gear 5, or in case of the structure shown in Fig. 8 gear 24 disengages itself from rack 3, and in this manner the circuit will be opened automatically at two places when the door is closed. What is claimed as new is L'In a closing mechanism of the class described, a sliding element, a rack secured to said element, an electric motor, means for conveying power from said motor to said rack for actuating the rack, and a direct circuit for the driving power of said motor including said rack.

described, amovable element,. a rack secured: thereto, an electrical motor, means for conveying power from said motor to said rack, a contacting strip extending substantially the full length of said movable motor including a source of current, said rack, said contacting strip and said switch. 3.-;In:a closin mechanism of the class described, a slidmg element, anelectrical prime mover, a metallic rack secured to said sliding element,-means forconnecting said prime mover with said rack for moving electrical prime-mover is energized, a contact extending. for substantially the full length of said sliding element, a consliding element is means for electrically connecting said contact member with said prime mover, a.

the rack 30f door 2 is. on the'interior part 2. In acloslng mechanism of the class,

- element, a switch and a circuit for said set forth with pinion 6 actuated by motor 7.

the arrangement of the racks 3 which fall the rack and said sliding element when the i tact member, engaging said strip-when the 1n. its open position,-

source of electrical energy in the length of said connecting means, and means for completing the I circuit between said rack and said contact strip.

4. In a closing mechanism described, a movable element, a rack extending along one edge thereof, a conductor strip secured to said movable element parallel with said rack .for substantially the full length of the movable element, an electrical motor arranged with means for engaging said'rack and moving the movable element when the motor is energizedymeans electrically connecting said conductorstrip and said motor, a source of electrical energy in the length of said connecting means, means grounding said motor on said rack,

I means electrically connecting said contact stri and said rack at the. end opposite sea a manually controlled switch interposed in the last-mentioned oonnectin "means;

5. In a closing mechanism 0 the class described, a movable element, a rack secured thereto, an electrical motor, a pinion carried by the shaft of said motor, means interposed between said pinion and .said shaft permitting the v reverse-direction on 'sai shaft withoutmoving"'the shaft, said means connecting, the pinion to the shaft for delivering: driving movement from the shaft to the pinion, a

element to a closed gear wheel meshing with said pinion and with said rack for moving said movable ,for said motor includm a source of current. i 6. In a closmg mec anism of the class of the class 1 first-mentioned connecting means, and

inion to run a osition, and a circuit described, the combination of a movable element, a rack secured thereto, an electri cal motor, means for conveying power from themeans which connectslthe same with 'the motor at the same time that the said sprin contact moves 01f said strip.

7. '%n a closing mechanism of the class described, a movable element adapted to move into and out of an 0 en posltion, a rack fixed to the movable el tending in the direction of travel thereof, a conductor carried by themovable element and extendingsubstantially parallel to the line of the rack, a motor having means en gaging the rack .for actuating the movable element, and a circuit for themotor, including said rack and conductor, and a source of current.

ement and exj In testimony--whereof-=we aflix our signaturesin presence of two witnesses.

' RUDOLPH H. REH'. YORKE BURGESS. I

Witnesses:

' C. H. FESLER,'

A. L. KITCH'IN. 

